Positive Movement on NK,
Many Hurdles Remain
(March 19, 2007)
The United States (U.S.)
and North Korea (NK) seem
to have resolved a dispute
over $25 million of frozen
funds, a key point that
stopped the progress in
negotiations to dismantle
the NK nuclear weapons
program.<More>

Iran Stalemate Intensifies
With More Sanctions
(March 15, 2007)
So called permanent U.N.
powers and Germany, weary
of Iran's hardening
position on its nuclear
program, agreed "in
principle" on a new set of
sanctions on Tehran for
continuing to defy world
demands to abandon its
enrichment program.<More>

Ore Export to China Hit
(March 13, 2007)
Responding to concerns
from environmental groups,
domestic steel businesses,
and manufacturing houses,
the federal government had
imposed an export duty of
Rs. 300 per ton but
Chinese importers are
boycotting Indian ore
demanding exporters absorb
the duty.<More>

Pak Alienating Neighbors,
World Powers
(March 12, 2007)
Despite signs of souring
relations with Tehran and
strained relations with
Washington, Pakistan has
asserted that it will not
allow its territory to be
used by the U.S. for
anti-Iran operations.<More>

Sunni-Shia Consensus?
(March 05, 2007)
Iranian hard-line
President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad and Saudi King
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz
have reportedly agreed to
stem increasing rift
between Sunni and Shia
Muslims that is dragging
West Asia into crisis.<More>

Congress Party Loses State
Elections
(February 27, 2007)
Main coalition partner of
the United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) governing
the federal government,
the Congress Party, lost
several key states
including economically
rich Punjab and militarily
rich Uttarakhand.<More>

Cheney in Surprise Pak
Visit
(February 26, 2007)
In a surprise move, U.S.
Vice President Dick Cheney
visited Pakistan on his
way to Kabul carrying a
message from President
George Bush that Islamabad
will lose its financial
aid if it cannot manage
its border with
Afghanistan.<More>

Trilateral Conference
Concludes in Delhi
(February 19, 2007)
The first structured and
sixth trilateral
conference between India,
Russia, and China ended in
New Delhi with an emphasis
on cooperation rather than
confrontation should
govern approaches to
regional and global
affairs."<More>

Disappointing Cauvery
Verdict
(February 14, 2007)
After 17 years of
deliberation and
unimplemented awards,
the Cauvery Water
Disputes Tribunal passed
a disappointing verdict
where not only were the
four states unhappy but
also disappointing those
who were looking for a
broader direction.<More>

BSF Wants No Habitation on Bangla Border
(February 09, 2007)
The Border Security Force (BSF)
has proposed a "no-habitation
zone" of 150 yards along the
long Indo-Bangla border in
West Bengal, Meghalaya, and
Tripura so it can effectively
manage it and stop illegal
infiltration.<More>

Achieving a Sustainable
Economic Growth Rate
(February 08, 2007)
In yesterday's piece "Is
the Economic Growth
Sustainable?" we showed
that the Indian economy
has excellent
fundamentals but is also
riddled with risk. In
this article, we will
list various fixes that
are necessary to ensure
that the growth rate
continues.<More>

Is the Economic Growth
Sustainable?
(February 07, 2007)
If economic reforms keep
pace, in the next
several years, the
Indian economy is
expected to pass Italy,
France, and the UK and
become the fifth largest
in the world spurred by
more efficient
industries competing
with the global system.<More>

New Environmental Body
(February 06, 2007)
France has proposed a new
environmental body that could
police, monitor, and hold
responsible nations that
over-use resources in the name
of development and received
support of several nations but
not the US, China, India, and
Russia.<More>

Russia Supports Natural
Gas Cartel Idea
(February 05, 2007)
Russia has proposed a
gas producing cartel
idea from Iran along the
lines of the oil
producing cartel so
natural has exporters
can come under a banner
to control output to
keep prices at higher
levels.<More>

GDP Growth Projected at
9%, RBI Hikes Rate
(February 02, 2007)
The government raised
the country's gross
national product (GDP)
growth to nine percent
up from 8.4 percent
because of higher than
expected agriculture
output this fiscal year
but the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) hiked
short-term rates to
check inflation.<More>

India-ASEAN Relations at
“High Point”
(February 01, 2007)
The Association of South
East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Secretary
General Ong Keng Yong
said that his
organization has “gone
beyond” characterizing
“China as the best
economy and India as a
secondary economy” and
has now accepted India
“as a strong economy.”<More>

IPI Agreement Closer to
Reality
(January 31 , 2007)
As US-Iran relations
nosedived over
accusations of meddling
over Iraq and Tehran’s
nuclear program, India,
Pakistan, and Iran
seemed to have agreed on
a price to transport
natural gas to India
over the
Iran-Pakistan-India
pipeline project.<More>

Political Color to
Religion through Sachar
Report
(January 30 , 2007)
With elections coming up
in Uttar Pradesh, the
United Progressive
Alliance (UPA)
government is reportedly
reading democratic
statistics to execute
minority welfare schemes
even as Muslims accuse
the Sachar Report of
ignoring their women.<More>

Indian Economy to Surpass US
by 2050
(January 29, 2007)
A recent Goldman Sachs study
projected that India, along
with China, will surpass the
US economy by 2050 as India
has moved onto a much faster
trajectory fueled by strong
and steady manufacturing
productivity gains.<More>

Russia Wants Energy, Military
Pie
(January 25, 2007)
Russian President Vladimir
Putin arrived in India to
rejuvenate ties hoping to win
a strong share of India’s
large energy and military
budget and also be the Guest
of Honor of the Republic Day
Parade that showcases Indian
military and cultural might.<More>

Iran Bars IAEA Inspectors, US
Warns
(January 24, 2007)
In an apparent retaliation
against UN sanctions imposed
last month on its
controversial nuclear program,
Iran barred 38 UN nuclear
inspectors from entering the
country and the US upped the
ante saying that rapprochement
with Iran was “not possible.”<More>

Personality-Neutral Relations
with Iran
(January 23, 2007)
In an act of militant defiance
in response to the second US
aircraft carrier USS John C.
Stennis into the Persian Gulf,
Iran tested short range Zalzal
and Fajr-5 missiles ostensibly
to evaluate “defensive and
fighting capabilities of the
missiles.” <More>

Halted Support for US Iraq
Strategy
(January 22, 2007)
Even as US allies in West Asia
expressed support for the US’s
new Iraq strategy, Riyadh
haltingly expressed support
but also doubted the
even-handedness of the
government in Baghdad to deal
with the Sunni population or
its capacity to stop sectarian
violence.<More>

Involve Myanmar in ULFA Hunt
(January 20, 2007)
With increased violence from
United Liberation of Asom (ULFA),
External Affairs Minister
Pranab Mukherjee is visiting
Myanmar over the weekend to
cement oral agreement on the
sidelines of the ASEAN meet in
the Philippines on joint
operations.<More>

AEC Chairman Guarded on Nuke
Deal
(January 18, 2007)
In an interview with The
Hindu, Atomic Energy
Commission (AEC) was guarded
on the Indo-US Civilian
Nuclear Deal only to list the
concerns that the Indian
establishment still hankers
but also said that these are
issues that can be clarified.<More>

SC Upholds MP Expulsion
(January 17, 2007)
The Supreme Court (SC)
upheld the Parliament’s
controversial expulsion
of 11 Members of
Parliament (MPs) caught
in a media sting over
the cash for query
scandal and said that
the expulsion was in
accordance to law.<More>

2006 Exports Topped
Expectations
(January 11, 2007)
Indian exports achieved
a key milestone when it
crossed the
psychological barrier of
USD 100 billion in 2006
with a growth rate of
24% and over 13% of
total gross domestic
product (GDP) valued at
USD 800 billion compared
to 6% in 1990-91.<More>

Ortega Assumes Power in
Nicaragua
(January 10, 2007)
Ringing warning bells in
Washington, former
revolutionary Daniel
Ortega assumed office in
a ceremony attended by a
dozen anti-American
world leaders and left
ideologues even as he
promised to balance
economic and ideological
considerations.<More>

Moon Rover Plans
(January 09, 2007)
As part of the second Chadrayan mnission in
2010-11, the Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO) is planning to land a motorized rover on
the moon to pick up samples of soil or rocks,
perform chemical analysis, and beam data to
mother spacecraft.<More>

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New Goal-Oriented Iraq Strategy
(January 08, 2007)
As US Generals gave a sobering view of
progress made by their troops in Iraq, a
recent report suggested that President
George Bush may introduce a new policy in
Iraq that includes a set of goals that the
government must meet.<More>

Bangla Polls Dubious
(January 05, 2007)
After indicating their participation in the January 22
polls, the 14-party opposition led by former Prime
Minister and Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina have now
decided to boycott the elections alleging that it was
“stage-managed.”<More>

Indo-Japan Ties Need Boost
(January 04, 2007)
Given regional and global developments
arising out of globalization and nuclear
weapons program of North Korea, industry
leaders are asking for a more active
political engagement of Japan which they say
will be more active this century.<More>

No SLMM in Combat Areas
(January 03, 2007)
As the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) withdrew
from combat areas in the North and East, the Sri Lankan
Air Force (SLAF) raid killed 15 civilians (including 4
children), wounded dozens, and destroyed all but 5
houses in Northern coast near Mannar.<More>

Islamists Driven Out of Mogadishu
(January 02, 2007)
Islamists controlling Somali capital
Mogadishu the last 6 months and enforcing
medieval laws were driven out by
Western-supported Somali government troops
and backed by Ethiopian tanks and MIG
fighter jets.<More>